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More than 6,200 people will participate in today's Bataan Memorial Death March

Daylong event will be at White Sands Missile Range

By Steve Ramirez

Texas-New Mexico Newspapers

Posted:
03/22/2014 11:23:04 PM MDT

LAS CRUCES >> Most of the approximately 1,800 New Mexicans who were forced marched in the Bataan Death March, during World War II, are gone.

Half of them died during the grueling, horrific march. Some were shot by Japanese soldiers when they couldn't keep up during the 62-mile march, after being surrendered to Japanese forces in April 1942. Others were beaten and tortured during the march because, well, Japanese soldiers just felt like committing those atrocities.

Still others died in prison camps after surviving the march, while others perished when they were put on Japanese "Hell ships" that were sunk while taking the prisoners of war to slave-labor camps throughout Japan.

Joe Brown, of Temecula, Calif., will be among the 6,210 people who will participate in today's 25th annual Bataan Memorial Death March, at White Sands Missile Range. It's personal, deeply personal, for Brown, 72, who has been a part of the march the past 10 years. He returns to WSMR to participate in memory of his father, Army Warrant Officer Charles D. Brown, who died aboard the Arisan Maru, a Japanese "Hell ship" that was sunk on Oct. 24, 1944 by a torpedo from a U.S. submarine. Only nine of the 1,781 prisoners of war abord the ship survived the torpedo attack.

"My dad died 36 days after I was born," said Brown, who will participate in today's memorial march with his sons and daughter. "I was always hoping he would be rescued. It would have been good to have him home. I used to daydream about that."

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Brown will walk the marathon-distance 26.2-mile course at WSMR, He said it's a far cry less of the distance than his father had to endure. Every step of the way, as he has for the past 10 Bataan Memorial Death Marches, Brown will carry a small braclet he made for his infant son's first birthday, shortly after becoming a prisoner of war.

"It's a Cub Scout, craft-shop type thing," Brown said. "But it means an awful lot to me. It's the only thing I have from my father."

One side of the bracelet reads "J.W. Brown," The other side is inscribed, "Daddy 3-3-43,"symbolizing the day Brown's father became a POW. The bracelet is in Brown's wallet and goes with him everywhere he goes.

Brown's is just one of the thousands of stories many of the marchers will focus on as they walk through the southern New Mexico desert, the foothills on the east side of the Organ Mountains today.

A tribute for survivors

There will be 13 Bataan survivors at today's event. Most, if not all, are now in their 90s.

Their will to endure the hardships of Japanese captivity during World War II is what many readily agree is the makings of true heroes. Today, they will shake hands of many of the participants, either as they begin the march or as they cross the finish line. They will participate in a ceremonial roll call during opening ceremonies, but there will be fewer of the survivors to answer as they continue to pass away.

To honor the survivors who will attend, they will be given handmade quilts made by WSMR Public Affairs Officer Ednamaya "Lisa" Blevins, of Alamogordo, and a group of Las Cruces women who volunteered to make the quilts, to keep the Bataan survivors warm.

"It's something I've wanted to do for the veterans for years," said Blevins, who made 10 quilts. "Over the years of attending this event, I've become very attached to them."

"I've noticed they've kept coming for years," Blevins said. "It often gets pretty cold out here, especially during the opening ceremonies, but they've never complained about. I thought about and came up with the idea that this was the least we could do for them."

It took Blevins and the volunteers at least three months to make the quilts; hand stitching them just about every night.

"It was fund to do, and it makes me feel good to have been able to have done it," Blevins said. "I guess you could say it truly was a labor of love."

Changes, and more of the same

There will be a new starting line for the Bataan Memorial Death March.

In previous years, the event started and finished at WSMR's Frontier Club, adjacent to the WSMR Golf Course.

However, as the number of participants has grown, the size of the event created some logistics problems for the march. This year's event will begin at WSMR Youth Center Soccer Field, about 300 yards west of the Frontier Club. Opening ceremonies will also be staged there.

It is in an much more open area that is more conducive for accommodating a bigger crowd. The facility will also be used to accommodate sponsors and vendors.

"With a new location there's always a new adventure," said Sue Staub, chief of WSMR's Recreation Division.

There are 600 more participants in this year's event, compared to last year.

Parking

Marchers, spectators and visitors to the event should also be aware there is a new parking plan, to help resolve issues from past years.

This year the marchers will be guided to parking spots by individuals with colored glow sticks. After the event, if a marcher cannot find their vehicle they can determine where their parking lot location is based on the color glow sticks

they saw when they arrived.

Motorists entering WSMR's main post from the Las Cruces gate, off of U.S. Highway 70, will park in either the "Green," "Purple," or "Blue" parking lots. They will be guided to those areas by WSMR police.

People either participating or watching the event are urged to keep their keys with them at all times since there is not locksmith service on post. WSMR police said there are usually five to 10 reports of lost keys each year among marchers.

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